Event Speakers/Presenters

Jordan Teitelbaum, D.O. F.A.R.S. is an Otolaryngologist-Head & Neck Surgeon who was proudly trained in Columbus, Ohio with subspecialty training in Rhinology/EESBS from Duke University. He practices in the suburbs of Chicago.

Dr. Tulio A Valdez is a surgeon-scientist born and raised in Colombia with a subspecialty interest in Pediatric Otolaryngology. He attended medical school at Universidad Javeriana in Bogota Colombia before undertaking his residency in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery in Boston. He completed his Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital (2007), Houston, and obtained his Master’s in Clinical and Translational Research at the University of Connecticut. Clinically, Dr. Valdez has an interest in pediatric sleep apnea. He has a special interest in the management of sinus disease in cystic fibrosis. Dr. Valdez has co-authored one textbook and numerous book chapters and scientific manuscripts. Dr. Valdez continues his clinical research in these areas, particularly with a focus on pediatric sleep apnea and complex nasal deformities. Scientifically, Dr. Valdez has developed various imaging methods to diagnose otitis media and cholesteatoma a middle ear condition that can lead to hearing loss. He was part of the Laser Biomedical Research Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research includes novel imaging modalities to better diagnose ear infections one of the most common pediatric problems. His research has now expanded to include better intraoperative imaging modalities in pediatric patients to improve surgical outcomes without the need for radiation exposure. Dr. Valdez believes in multi-disciplinary collaborations to tackle medical problems and has co-invented various medical devices and surgical simulation models.

Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, is founding director of Southern California Eye Institute (SCEI), located at CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, a nationally recognized acute care facility providing compassionate support for Hollywood and its surrounding communities since 1924. An accomplished physician-scientist and board-certified ophthalmologist, Rohit Varma is recognized worldwide as a visionary leader in glaucoma and the epidemiology of eye diseases. He is an expert on changes in the optic nerve in glaucoma and is also studying new imaging techniques in the early diagnosis of glaucomatous optic nerve damage. His primary research focuses on epidemiologic studies of eye disease in children and aging populations. He is principal investigator of several National Institute of Health-funded studies, including the African American Eye Disease Study, the Chinese American Eye Study, the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study and the Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Diseases Study. His epidemiological studies have significantly impacted health care policy and have allowed for a deeper understanding of how disease affects different populations. Most recently, Rohit Varma has been involved in the development of novel implantable intraocular pressure sensors and drainage devices. He also served as principal investigator for studies on blindness and vision impairment for the World Health Organization. Rohit Varma is one of the highest National Institutes of Health-funded vision investigators, with continuous funding for more than two decades, demonstrating the importance, relevance and impact of his work. Rohit Varma has authored or co-authored more than 331 journal articles in peer-reviewed journals and edited or authored three books. He serves on the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Health Disparities and served on the board of the Scientific Counselors of the National Eye Institute. He is a member of several prestigious academic societies, including the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the American Glaucoma Society and the American Academy of Ophthalmology, which has awarded him its Secretariat Award and its Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received the Innovation in Medicine Award from the National Medical Fellowships Foundation and the President's Award from the Glaucoma Research Foundation. Most recently, Dr. Varma was named an ARVO Gold Fellow for exemplary contributions and dedication to vision science research and mentorship. Prior to founding SCEI, Rohit Varma was professor of ophthalmology and preventive medicine and the Grace and Emery Beardsley Chair in Ophthalmology at Keck School of Medicine of USC. Previously he served as dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and president and chair of the Board of Directors of USC Care. He was also chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, and founding director of the USC Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute. He also served as associate dean for strategic planning and community network development. Rohit Varma also served as professor and chair of the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he held the Charles I. Young Endowed Chair of Ocular Research and served as associate dean of strategic planning. Rohit Varma completed his residency in ophthalmology at the internationally renowned Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, as well as earning a master of public health degree from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, both located in Baltimore. He completed two glaucoma fellowships, one at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia and the other at Keck School of Medicine of USC. A native of India, he obtained his medical degree from the University of Delhi.

VyVy Young, MD, is an Associate Professor and the Associate Residency Program Director in the UCSF Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center. She pursued her Otolaryngology training at the University of Louisville, in Louisville, Kentucky and fellowship in Laryngology and Care of the Professional Voice at the University of Pittsburgh Voice Center. Dr. Young currently serves the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery as a member of the Annual Meeting Program Committee and Executive Committee for ENThealth.org. She is a Fellow of the American Laryngological Association and was recently selected to join UCSF’s prestigious Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators. Her clinical practice covers all aspects of laryngology including disorders affecting voice, airway, and swallowing, although her current research efforts focus on gender-affirming voice care, airway stenosis, spasmodic dysphonia, vocal fold paralysis, and voice outcomes research. She also has particular interest in gender, diversity, and wellness issues in medicine.